BILL NUMBER: AB 1599	CHAPTERED  09/24/00

	CHAPTER   598
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   SEPTEMBER 24, 2000
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   SEPTEMBER 22, 2000
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   AUGUST 31, 2000
	PASSED THE SENATE   AUGUST 30, 2000
	AMENDED IN SENATE   AUGUST 29, 2000
	AMENDED IN SENATE   AUGUST 25, 2000
	AMENDED IN SENATE   AUGUST 18, 2000
	AMENDED IN SENATE   AUGUST 17, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   AUGUST 16, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   JULY 1, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   MAY 17, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Torlakson

                        FEBRUARY 26, 1999

   An act to add Section 6359 to the Labor Code, relating to labor.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1599, Torlakson.  Labor.
   (1) Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature that
school district personnel responsible for issuing work permits to
minors have a working knowledge of California labor laws as they
relate to minors, and further, that personnel be trained to provide
the pupils practical personal guidance in career education.
   This bill would require the Department of Industrial Relations to
contract with a coordinator to establish a statewide young worker
health and safety resource network.  The primary function of the
resource network would be to assist in increasing the ability of
young workers and their communities statewide to identify and address
workplace hazards in order to prevent young workers from becoming
injured or ill on the job.  The resource network would be required to
coordinate and augment existing outreach and education efforts and
provide technical assistance, educational materials and other support
to schools, job training programs, employers and other organizations
working to educate pupils and their communities about workplace
health and safety and child labor law.  The bill would state that
those provisions would be implemented subject to an appropriation for
those purposes in the 2000-01 Budget Act.
   (2) The bill would state that the Legislature recognizes that
funds made available by a specified item in the Budget Act of 2000-01
may be used by the Department of Industrial Relations to enter into
a contract or an interagency agreement for costs related to the
enforcement by appropriate authorities due to referrals made pursuant
to specified provisions.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 6359 is added to the Labor Code, to read:
   6359.  (a) The Legislature finds and declares the following:
   (1) Every year 70 adolescents die from work injuries in the United
States and 200,000 are injured, 70,000 seriously enough to require
hospital treatment.  Most of these injuries are preventable.
   (2) A recent report by the Institute of Medicine and the National
Research Council has brought national attention to the need for
better education and interventions to aid injury and illness
prevention efforts aimed at young workers.
   (3) Since 1996, the California Study Group on Young Workers'
Health and Safety, consisting of 30 representatives from key agencies
and organizations involved with California youth employment and
education issues, including representatives from government agencies,
business, labor, parent and teacher organizations, and others, has
met to develop recommendations to better protect and educate
California's young workers.
   (4) The study group recommended the establishment of a Resource
Network on Young Workers' Health and Safety, to assist in increasing
the ability of young workers and their communities to identify and
address workplace hazards in order to prevent young workers from
becoming injured or ill on the job.
   (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Department of
Industrial Relations, the University of California, the State
Department of Education, the State Department of Health Services, and
the Employment Development Department cooperatively and individually
conduct activities aimed at the prevention of occupational injuries
and illnesses among young workers.
   (c) The Department of Industrial Relations shall contract with a
coordinator to establish a statewide young worker health and safety
resource network.  The primary function of the resource network shall
be to assist in increasing the ability of young workers and their
communities statewide to identify and address workplace hazards in
order to prevent young workers from becoming injured or ill on the
job.  The network shall coordinate and augment existing outreach and
education efforts and provide technical assistance, education
materials and other support to schools, job training programs,
employers and other organizations working to educate students and
their communities about workplace health and safety and child labor
laws.
   (d) The resource network shall provide, and the lead center shall
coordinate, services to all key groups throughout the state involved
in education and protecting young workers, including, but not limited
to:
   (1) Teachers.
   (2) Schools.
   (3) Job training programs.
   (4) Employers of youth.
   (5) Parent groups.
   (6) Youth organizations.
   (7) Work permit issuers.
   (e) The resource network shall be advised by a statewide advisory
group, including, but not limited to, representatives from the
Department of Industrial Relations, the Commission on Health and
Safety and Worker's Compensation, the University of California, the
State Department of Education, the Department of Health Services, and
the Employment Development Department, as well as business, labor,
parents, and others experienced in working with youth doing
agricultural and nonagricultural work.  The advisory group shall
represent diverse geographic regions of the state.
   (f) This section shall be implemented subject to the availability
of funding for the purposes of this section in the 2000-01 Budget
Act.
  SEC. 2.  The Legislature recognizes that funds appropriated by Item
8350-001-0001 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2000-01 may also
be used by the Department of Industrial Relations to enter into a
contract or an interagency agreement for costs related to the
enforcement activities by appropriate authorities due to referrals
made pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 6300) of Part 1
of Division 5 of the Labor Code.
